![[The MFP-03 MIDI Filer]](filer.jpg) | Contents |
The MFP-03 Filer is a small unit for recording, editing, and playing MIDI files on 3½" (120/1.44/0.72 MB) diskettes. It’s not a sequencer, but it can re-orchestrate every song — change programs, drum notes and their velocity, controller values, and re-map channels. It can also change tempo, transpose, mute, and even mix channels during playback! During recording, if external MIDI synchronisation is used, it tracks all the tempo changes and automatically retrieves the tempo map of the song (I am not aware of any hardware or software sequencer that can do that!). Everything edited, changed in real-time, or recorded, can then be saved on disk. Songs can be re-ordered, renamed, copied, or deleted. Songs are organised in directory trees; whole directories can be copied. Whole diskettes can be formatted and copied too. Both Stacker® disk compression and PKZIP® file compression are supported, allowing instant access to 5000 ÷ 7000 arranged songs on just one SuperDisk™! Last but not least, it has the DB51XG™ — a successor of the award-wining Yamaha® DB50XG™ sound generator on board which can drive un-powered speakers or headphones. Retail price will be as low as £399. Production quantities of 100 ÷ 1000 units per year are planned.
| Standard MIDI Files formats supported: | 0 and 1 (2: track 1 only) |
| Maximal number of playback MIDI channels: | 32 (2 ports x 16) |
| Maximal number of playback MIDI tracks: | 64 |
| Maximal size of a single MIDI file: | 1.95 MB |
| Maximal number of SYSEX events in a single file: | 1000 |
| Maximal size of a single SYSEX: | 4 KB |
| Minimal recording tempo that can be tracked: | 23 bpm |
| Minimal pause between successive songs in AUTO mode: | 1 s (LS-120) / 2 s (2HD/2DD) |
| Minimal guaranteed number of Flash memory firmware updates: | 100,000 |
| Power supply voltage: | 90 ÷ 264 VAC |
| Power supply frequency: | 47 ÷ 440 Hz |
| Power consumption: | 22 W peak, 6 W average |
| Power-up (start-up, bootstrap) time: | < 5 s |
| Type of diskettes used: | 89 mm (3½") / 2DD, 2HD or LS-120 (UHD) |
| Dimensions: | 315 x 190 x 40 mm (12.4" x 7½" x 1.57") |
| Weight (without diskette): | 1.99 kG (4.4 lb) |
The MFP-03 consists of the following modules housed in a simple three-part aluminium case:
On the front and rear panels, there is a stereo potentiometer for audio volume adjustment, and the following connectors:
The pedals simply double the functions of the PLAY (SELECT for directories) and NEXT keys.
The following picture shows the user panel schematically:
| < | M | F | P | - | 0 | 3 | > |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <</-10 | >>/+10 | SELECT | PAUSE | MODE | HIGHER | CHAN | FASTER |
| PREV | NEXT | OK/RTRY | DELETE | SAV/REN | LOWER | STATUS | SLOWER |
| PLAY | STOP | DSK/CAN | FORMAT | COPY | CHAIN | EDIT | RECORD |
All the software is located on the 128 KB Flash-ROM, and can therefore be easily upgraded by end users using a diskette with its image file. The MFP-03 is controlled by a special command interpreter (shell) called LIVE!JAM™ (not to be confused with LiveJam) I’ve written almost from scratch 
. It performs all the necessary tasks (including keyboard/display scanning) and will never exit. The shell resides on top of a DOS-kernel and is heavily based on it.
Upon power up, after the BIOS Power-On Self Test is completed, the DOS kernel, all installable device drivers, and the shell are loaded from a ROM-disk (a ROM-based RAM-disk). This bootstrap process takes only several seconds. To be able to boot from ROM, a specially designed DOS must be used. I’ve found ROM-DOS™ by Datalight®, Inc. as most suitable for that. It can boot from ROM and supports ROM-disks. For more information on ROM-DOS™, please contact Datalight.
Datalight offered a so-called „Generic miniBIOS“ which was easily ported to any PC-compatible environment, including the ALi M6117. I’ve added only some POST (Power-On Self Test) routines, which initialise the chipset and start the DRAM refresh. The RTC (Real-Time Clock) is initialised in the shell, and the SuperDisk™ drive is controlled by its DOS installable device driver.
The „LIVE!JAM™“ (JAM.EXE) command interpreter is written in both C and Assembler. It is divided into eleven source modules:
The current version of LIVE!JAM™ is 3.20. The sources amount to about 8K lines in total, which I think isn’t very much. The executable is 42 KB long right now uncompressed, and 25 KB compressed with aPACK.
At this time, the Operating Manual, all the hardware documentation (schematics, BOM, PCB, housing drawings), and two technical papers about the methods of playback and tempo map retrieval are available. All the firmware source files are commented in English (more or less thoroughly), but they’re not publicly available. During my programming efforts, I have also written a number of test programs in C and Assembler.
Yet to be calculated… I’m not an expert, but I believe that the MFP-03 will be effective enough. The three sold prototypes prove this so far. However, production in series is a very different matter. If bought in big quantities, electronic components will be significantly cheaper, but allowances for depreciation, royalties to Datalight, and other expenses have to be added. And what about human labour? Well, assembly is easy but nevertheless it will add some expenses too.
So far, three working prototypes have been sold, which have been intensively used by their owners for 3 or 4 years. Most software bugs have already been fixed. A prototype unit suitable for production in series of 100 ÷ 1000 units per year has already been developed, and has been up and running since 1999. It uses the same software, but the LED display control has been changed for the TLC5920, the low-level serial port control changed for the ALi M5113, the necessary changes made to support the LS-120 drive and a rotary encoder (alpha dial), and directory support added.
Bulgaria has retained part of its electronic industry power, and we have even facilities for surface-mount technology in Sofia and Rousse, but the economic situation here is still very unfavourable. Despite my wish, I was forced to seek a manufacturer abroad, although the hope to begin production in Bulgaria is still nonzero.
After a long search, I found an UK company, Magitec Ltd, who became interested. So I sent them the working prototype for evaluation. They presented it at the Music Live ’99 show in Birmingham (19-21.11.1999) and at the Musikmesse 2000 show in Frankfurt (12-16.04.2000). The presentations were successful. Then we decided to do a technology (know-how) transfer from me to them, so that they can manufacture and sell the unit under their brand. Production was planned to launch sometime in Y2K.
However, the Nature has been against us. Flu, floods, hurricanes, Thatcherism in action, and other natural disasters greatly delayed their plans, and Magitec finally… went bankrupt! So, I’m forced to call for volunteer manufacturers again. Please download the full hardware documentation I’ve now made publicly available and estimate your capabilities. If you’ll be going to begin production, please let me know and I will help you as much as I’ve helped Magitec. You’ll only have to sign a license and pay me royalties for the firmware. The sooner a production starts — the more musicians satisfied from all over the world, the better for all of us! (NOTE: Since July 2001 this call is not actual anymore.)
It’s there! I already received requests for the MFP-03 from users abroad. But even in my native town Varna, there is a big demand for these units. I’m constantly bombarded with musician’s questions if I can make one more unit for them. My rough estimations are that there is a market for at least 100 units only in Bulgaria. Not speaking about the sheer market in Italy, Germany and other European countries. This unit fills the gap between the simple MIDI Filers like the Roland Sound Brush (discontinued), the Yamaha MDF2/3 and the Viscount RD-70 / RD-800 / MF-01 on one hand, and the more complex (and expensive) hard disk-based filers like the Charlie Lab Megabeat One / Rack / Pro, the M-Live Merish, and Miditemp MP-22W / MP-88W on the other hand. It has some unique capabilities which approach the second group at the price of the first. That’s why I sincerely believe in its success!
I’ve even been assured that a player piano system manufacturer would need… 200 MFP-03 units per month (!), but this is not something to be relied on in my opinion. Another customer wanted to use the unit for game machines. All this shows that MIDI filers may have some rather unexpected applications!
It wouldn’t be fair not to list some similar devices here, almost all of them by the way reviewed by the German magazine Tastenwelt in their „MIDI-Filer Rubrik“, and… half of them „Made in Italy“ (Northern Italy, of course):
Of course there are more, such as the Lion’s Tracs Megafloppy. But none offers those great editing capabilities and performance / price ratio as our MFP-03!
My wish is to let the musicians have the MIDI Filer they want. Several talented musicians have consulted me during the software development process. I’ve added the features they want, and only the features they want. Since I myself am an amateur musician, I think the features are well designed and balanced. Of course, the public will say their say…
The market niche for such units does exist. What we can see now is either very simple, or very complex (and expensive) MIDI Filers. I think my MFP-03 is in the golden middle.
With luck, I think about 1K pcs per year could be manufactured (and sold!). For such quantities, given the fact that the most VLSI chips used are fine-pitch SMD, using automated SMT facilities is a must. Fortunately, there are companies who offer a CEM (Contract Electronic Manufacture), which is the right solution for small companies who can’t afford these expensive SMT auto-placing machines, microprocessor-controlled ovens, and so on.
The MFP-03 could be manufactured in a rack-mountable version if needed. A remote control unit and a karaoke display would add more versatility to the potential users.
There is a top secret project I now begin working on. It will again use same software, but the size of the hardware will be just… 135 x 70 x 25 mm („Honey, they’ve shrunk my filer!“ ). It’s aimed to build a bridge between the professional and consumer market. More details will be revealed in the final phase of its development… Watch this space!
Author Luchezar Georgiev has built his first electronic music projects — an analogue synth and a valve guitar amp at the age of 16. At 17, he has learned the piano for an year and a half. After doing his military service where he built a bell-alarm clock for the unit, he has played keyboards and drums in a few student bands before graduating electronic engineering in 1984. He had worked at the RADAR plant of Varna for 7 years then — in production, as a designer, and then research associate. Since 1990 he has worked as Assistant Professor at the Computer Science Department in the Technical University of Varna. He has been writing programs in Assembler since 1982, and in C since 1990. Computer music has become the area for his technical and scientific work since 1992. Married in 1995, with one daughter.
Copyright © 1998-2001 Luchezar Iliev Georgiev. All international rights are strictly reserved. The information contained herein is summary in nature, subject to change without notice, and intended for general information only. LIVE!JAM™ is a trademark of Luchezar Iliev Georgiev. Datalight® is a registered trademark and ROM-DOS™ is a trademark of Datalight, Inc. The other company and product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners, which may be registered under certain jurisdictions. They are not necessarily endorsed by the author.
